Sports

New foundation will honour former Wolverines player

Before the season started this year, the Whitecourt Wolverines retired the jersey of a former player who died in car accident and the team is committed to raising money in his honour.

The Elias Lachance Foundation will be dedicated to raising money for underpriviledged children who can't afford hockey gear, but who want to play.

"It's to give young kids who can't afford gear the chance to play hockey. It's to make sure every kid who wants to play hockey can play hockey," said Brent McKennitt, who was a close friend of Lachance before the collision.

The two things Lachance loved most in the world was hockey and kids, said McKennitt. With that in mind, the idea for the foundation made perfect sense.

McKennitt said its a way to keep the spirit of Lachance alive and do some good work in the community in his name.

Both Lachance and McKennitt played for the Wolverines in the team's inaugural season and won a championship together. From there, the two became friends and were even roommates for a year and a half.

"We would go on vacation in the summer time together," said McKennitt. "I considered him a brother."

The ethos of the Wolverines is that anyone involved in the organization is a part of it for life and the team placed Lachance's jersey in a frame with the phrase "Once a Wolverines, always a Wolverines" emblazoned over the top.

The team also created a cup game in his honour and the proceeds of the Elias Lachance Cup will go to the foundation.

In this way, he will live on in a positive way, said McKinnett.

"Once you're a part of the Wolverines," you're always a part of the team, he said.